[Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors
Mark J. Cadigan
kramc11 at gmail.com
Tue Feb 21 14:03:18 UTC 2012
Desiree,
I for one am a current college student. Like most college freshmin, I live
in a dorm. It is not what you imagine it to be. I have never been the victim
of hazing or other harassment, and for that madder, I can't think of anyone
else at my school that has. This is not a community college, but a private
university, and they would not tolerate that type of negative behavior.
This is just a thought, but have you ever considered attending one of the
NFB training centers. Even if you already have impeccable skills, city
travel is very different than rural travel. I attended BLIND Inc. and highly
recommend it.
Also, the skills you learn at a training center will help you get a job, and
there are far more jobs available in a big city than in small towns. Once
you establish residency in some ware like MN for instance, the state rehab
there is wonderful at paying for things like college or other training
required to help you get a job.
Also, if you go to a NFB center, they will pay for you to go to convention
witch is a wonderful networking experience.
Good luck,
Mark
----- Original Message -----
From: "Desiree Oudinot" <turtlepower17 at gmail.com>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 2:11 AM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors
> No, my blindness wouldn't be nearly as much of an obstacle if I lived
> in a city. But I do know also that if things don't work out if I did
> move into an apartment, I would have no one else to turn to. I would
> end up out on the street if I couldn't pay rent. I know if I go
> against their wishes I'll be disowned. Also going to college is
> certainly not in my plans. While I'm not ruling it out altogether,
> maybe 5 or 10 years down the road, I want to be in a better place
> mentally than I am now. I know that if I do it now, all that will
> happen is I'll burn out. I definitely do not want to live in a dorm. I
> know all about hazing and all that crap. If I do go to college, I want
> it to be at a community college. The problem is, if I do that, I want
> to go somewhere where I know I won't run into any of the a-holes I
> went to school with around here. I even have one in mind, but being a
> blind person, moving into a new city, and trying to maintain a job so
> I can survive and go to college is just way more stress than I need.
>
> On 2/21/12, Johanna Baccan <24kjo at optonline.net> wrote:
>> Dear Mike, and All,
>> the talk is not for the purpose for getting students to go to Columbia
>> They
>> are already Medical students at Columbia deciding on what kind of Doctor
>> they want to be. This is not my intention to get across that blindness
>> is
>> not respectable or have the sighted realize what we cannot do. I know
>> that
>> you do not know me but I am a good role model for someone who is living
>> with
>> Blindness. When the students meet me they will know that a Blind person
>> can
>> just about do anything. I am on a Web show on Thru our Eyes called
>> Looking
>> Good Without Looking. I am the Co-host. I am called the Make-up Diva.
>> I
>> train women if they choose to put on make-up. You do not have to see to
>> wear make-up. As a matter of fact I put it on better than a sighted
>> person.
>> Our next show is this Wednesday night and I will send the link to the
>> list.
>> Our show is for Men, Women , and Teens. It is for full vision, low
>> vision,
>> or no vision. I am proud of my Blindness and how I cope. Yes, I have
>> all
>> the frustrations and stress that go along with it also . But I choose to
>> keep going and learning to make my life and others around me better. I
>> just joined the NFB a year ago. Yes I heard they were Radical. But when
>> I
>> joined I found it to be not so. Desiree forgive me if I spell your name
>> wrong. You see by being involve with the NFB we all want to help one
>> another with problems that each other may have . One or many of us have
>> been through it and we can help one another. Please ask us questions so
>> maybe we can help. I used to drive 34 years ago and I still miss it
>> terribly. I too have to depend on friends, and family for rides. You
>> know
>> that there is a talking cash register. Get with a VR counselor and see
>> what
>> kind of jobs are around you. By the way where do you Live? They may be
>> able to connect you with a job that uses a talking cash register. There
>> is
>> a lot more technology out there now then there was for me 34 years ago.
>> Keep fighting and do not give up. If you have not already gotten your
>> degree than do so. Yes, there are many small minded and mean people out
>> there. You have to rise above it. I know it is not easy. Getting
>> back
>> to my talk. All over the country there are places that are doing
>> research
>> . These places need Retina Doctors and Researchers to continue what has
>> been started. There is stem cell research, gene therapy research, retina
>> cell transplantation research, and retina doctors that are needed to
>> continue this. Don't worry Mike I will let them know also the techniques
>> of
>> blindness. We all can do almost the same things that the sighted do.
>> But
>> with technology we get the same result but the way we get it done is
>> different.
>> Sincerely,
>> Johanna
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Mike Freeman
>> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 10:19 PM
>> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors
>>
>> If you were African-american (and I don't know whether you are or are not
>> and it truly doesn't make a difference), would you consent to give a talk
>> on
>> what you're missing out on by not being Caucasian, especially since the
>> purpose is obviously to get more specialists to go to a prestigious
>> medical
>> school?
>>
>> Were I you, I'd refuse because going through the "ain't it awful"
>> routine,
>> even if in a worthy cause, hurts the blind in that it concentrates upon
>> what
>> the sighted think we *can't* do rather than showing them that ultimately,
>> it
>> is respectable to be blind.
>>
>> Mike Freeman
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Johanna Baccan
>> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 5:43 PM
>> To: Blind Talk mailing List
>> Subject: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors
>>
>> To All:
>>
>> I was asked by Dr. Steven Sang one of the top Retina Doctors at Columbia
>> Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, new York to speak to Columbia
>> University Medical Students. He wants me to encourage them to become
>> Retina
>> Doctors and Retina Researchers. I am a 54 year old woman and have a
>> unusual form of Stargardt's Disease and have been visually impaired for
>> 34
>> years. I know that we all have mastered some if not all the Techniques
>> of
>> Blindness. But my talk is going to be on what it would mean to regain my
>> vision and what I have missed out on for 34 years. I would like to hear
>> from all of you to let me know what it would mean to you to have or
>> regain
>> your vision. What struggles have you had. There has been a declined in
>> Medical Students to become Retina Doctors and Researchers in this
>> country.
>> As a whole the Blind Community seems to function in a way that people
>> don't
>> realize how difficult it really is. So instead of talking how I mastered
>> the Techniques of Blindness I have to talk about the reality of vision
>> loss.
>> These students are exposed to other patients with diseases that are much
>> more visible and pronounced then our vision loss. At times my particular
>> eye disease has been called a Hidden handicap. Because to look at me
>> even
>> though I use a cane I do not look visually impaired at all. Any
>> suggestions
>> or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Johanna Baccan
>>
>>
>>
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>
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